Into Thin Air
by 555Diana555
Summary: Everyone has limits, and the X-Men are no exception. What happens when one of the X-Men pushes their mutation too far?


Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoy my little story. My main focus is my other story, Soulseeker, but this idea came to me and wouldn't leave me alone. This should be a fairly short fic, 5 chapters or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. Like I could ever be that creative. Anywho, enjoy!

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**Prologue:**

The wind blew, billowing the curtains that hung from the open french doors. The air was sweet, warm and inviting, the aroma from Storm's well kept garden drifted up onto the balcony and I breathed deeply, savoring the smell. It was time, I felt it deep in my heart, in the air around me. The sunrise shimmered across the sky, colors colliding together, trying to occupy the same space. The clouds looked soft and gentle, and I want to feel them, to fall through them. I was ready to melt into the sunrise, to let the warmth soak through me. Stars still hung in the western sky, the night's final adieu to the waking world, promising to be back gain soon. And here on this balcony would be my final goodbye, but unlike the night, I was not forevermore. I had come to this Earth, this place in time, for only a little while. Still though, as long as the people that I gave my heart to still remembered me, thought of me on occasion, then would I truly be gone? Maybe I'll be missing from the physical realm, but the world was more then what we can see or hear. It's what we_ feel _deep down into our hearts it's what moves us and inspires us, makes us alive.

"I'll always be with you," I whispered quietly to the man who I knew was standing behind me. I turned to face him, tears in my eyes. I made no attempt to hide them, much like he made no attempt to battle against his. He reached out to hold me but stopped himself with a sob. I felt a small smile come to my lips, refusing to allow my last moments with him to be sad. I wanted to tell him everything, about everything that was going through my mind and how much I would miss him. I couldn't find the words though, but as my eyes met his, I realized that he already knew all I needed to say to him, that he knew my very soul better then I myself did. And then I let go, I stopped fighting, I stopped existing.

"You'll feel me with you, as the wind blows."

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"This is ridiculous!" Rogue yelled as the X-Men rushed off the Blackbird and into Central Park. "Since when are we hired to do jobs for the American military?"

"Since it means saving millions of people lives. And you weren't hired, you were required," A man in a uniform announced as he held out his hand to Scott. He was middle aged and well toned, Aviator sun glasses hiding his eyes. He stood silently as he took in the group of teenagers. Behind him were soldiers, all armed and on alert.

"I'm General Talbert of the United States Army," He said stiffly as the two shook hands.

"Yea, I read your name plate," Rogue said dryly as Kurt elbowed her. "What? He's worse then Scott."

"Sir, we have no information on what you would like us to do. Could you tell us what's going on?" Jean asked as she stepped forward and shook his hand also, obviously making it known that just because she was a woman, didn't mean that she was any less capable of handling a dangerous situation.

Talbert nodded as he finished shaking the hands of the rest of the team.

"If we could walk and talk, then that would be best," He turned and motioned for the X-Men to follow through the park, his long strides difficult to keep up with.

"Suspicious activity was reported by an employee of the Empire State Building," He led them out onto the street, motioning for them to get into a military Hummer. They clambered in quickly, tripping over each other.

"What kind of suspicious activity?" Kitty asked as she sat on Kurt's tail. He glanced at her and opened his mouth to say something, though seemed to think better of it and sighed.

"Well, long story short, we found a bomb," Talbert sighed as he pulled out a walkie talkie. "We have the mutant team and are heading to our destination. Hold your positions and keep the suspects detained but do not move him, I repeat do not move him."

He looked over at Jean before nudging the man beside him and holding out his hand. A thick manilla folder was placed in it and he began leafing through the papers.

"Miss Jean Grey, you've been on our radar for awhile know," he said smoothly as he peaked at Jean from behind his sunglasses.

"And why's that?" Scott demanded, folding his arms sternly.

"A girl who can read minds, now that is something that the military concerns itself with," Talbert smirked. "And the military would love to get it's hands on you two." He gestured with his hand to Kitty and Kurt.

"Well, since we're notoriously hand to get a hand on, I doubt that that'll be happening anytime soon," Kurt said heatedly, leaning forward and defensively shielding Kitty from Talbert's view.

"And is there a real emergency, or is this just a ploy to get our DNA so you can replicate it and use it as a military weapon?" Kitty asked, raising her eyebrows as she peeked from over Kurt's shoulder. The military and mutants were always at odds, neither one trusting the other. Mutants were waiting to become part of military experiments and the military and government were suspicious that Xavier would suddenly decide to order his X-Men to become volatile.

"No need to get your DNA, we already have it on record," Talbert said. "And yes there is an emergency. Miss Grey, I assume that it doesn't matter what language a person thinks in, you can still read their mind?"

"Yes, why? What sort of bomb are we talking about?" Jean answered his question with her own.

"You see, we have no idea. We have never seen this kind of technology before, it could be bio chemical, atomic or just a simple cluster bomb. The man who we believe to be responsible is a North Korean native, and either he's lying or he really doesn't know anything about the bomb and was just a deliverer. We need to be sure, because right now he's our only hope of neutralizing the bomb," Talbert said as the Hummer came to a stop.

He opened the door and stepped out, the X-Men following him.

"Sir," a man in his twenties greeted Talbert with a salute. "He's over with Stand and Bergman."

"Thank you Brinkley, nothing new to report?" Talbert asked tensely.

"Negative sir, the scientists we brought in were unsuccessful in disabling the bomb," Brinkley replied with a short shake of the head.

"Damn it, alright Red," Talbert said to Jean as a struggling man was brought up to them in handcuffs. He was talking heatedly in Korean, his eyes wild and fierce.

Jean nodded and placed her fingertips against his temples, bonding his mind with hers and breaching into his secrets.

Memories flashed through her mind and Jean sorted through them quickly, dismissing any irrelevant ones about family or his past. Finally she found the one that held the answer. A man handing him a thick white envelope and a large bag. And to Jean's horror, that was all the memory held. It was simple hand off.

"General Talbert, he has no knowledge about the bomb. He's just a delivery boy," Jean sighed as she withdrew her fingers. The short asian man in front of her swayed as his eyes rolled back, unaccustomed to being mentally searched. He was dragged away and thrown unceremoniously in an armored van.

" I feared that," Talbert grumbled as he pulled out his walkie talkie. "Any luck?"

The walkie talkie cackled for a moment before a grim answered came through. "No, it's gonna worse. The damn timers going off."

Talbert swore for a few solid moments. "There must have been a second man, a man with a detonator. Find him! And start evacuation on the city. How much time do we have?"

"Ten minutes. We got ten minutes to evacuate all of New York. Ain't gonna happen." The voice responded through the speaker.

"Well you make it happen damn it!" Talbert demanded as he threw down the walkie talkie. It hit the concrete sidewalk and shattered.

"Sir, where's the bomb?" Scott asked as the X-Men stiffened, falling into their familiar battle mood. They dealt with life and death situations on a weekly basis, even on some occasions saving the whole world, it was simply what they did. Not because they were heroes, but because they had the abilities to help people. This situation was nothing new. Except of course that this was a bomb... that was a little new.

"Bombs tucked in the corner of the main lobby of the Empire State Building," Talbert nodded to the building on the other side of the street, guarded with dozens of soldiers.

"Let's see what we can do," Scott said as he led the way across the street. The team entered the sleek and stylish lobby of the impressive building, only to be stopped by a group of soldiers.

"Restricted area, sorry kid, but you're gonna have to leave," a tall man said as he stepped in front of them.

"Stand down Lieutenant, unless you can get me someone who can disable this bomb," Talbert sighed as the group continued through the lobby, heading towards a corner that was roped off.

A frazzled and red faced man stood up when he saw Talbert approaching.

"When this thing blows, it's going to have at least a 20 mile radius of destruction," he sighed as he pushed his hands through his tousled hair.

"20 miles! This really is dangerous technology! Let's take a look at it," Jean said as the X-Men came into the perimeter of the yellow ribbon. A suitcase was on the ground, laying open. Inside of it was a round dome, a small screen on it ticking away the seconds.

"So," Rogue said as she crouched down next to it. "This little thing is going to take out all of New York?"

"Yes, it is," Kitty sighed as she mimicked Rogue's position. She hesitantly placed a hand on it, shaking her head. "Mr. McCoy told me about a mutant named Nitro. He has the ability to combust, creating an explosion that is catastrophic, equally 250 pounds of TNT exploding. Logan went on a mission with S.H.I.E.L.D. to capture him, but they lost him in China. He must have gone to North Korea and helped create this bomb."

Talbert nodded as Kitty spoke, taking mental notes. "That's great, we have the name of the bad guy, but we still have a bomb."

"Kitty, can't you just phase through it and short it out?" Kurt suggested. He eyed the timer, only seven minutes remained. He had a plan, but he would have to do it soon for it to work.

"Too risky, if I accidentally trip something, it'll go," Kitty answered, shaking her head.

Scott paced for a moment, shaking his head. "A bomb. Who the heck uses bombs anymore?"

The team spent the next few moments suggesting ideas but dismissing them just as soon as they were spoken.

The timer reached six minutes and Kurt made up his mind.

"Give it to me, I'll port 20 miles out into the Atlantic ocean and drop it off there. As long as I don't come across any boats, it'll be fine," Kurt said.

"Port 20 miles with a bomb?" Rogue snapped, glaring at her only brother, the only family she had in the world.

"Kurt, that's 10 ports!" Jean exclaimed. A soldier behind them began talking rapidly into his walkie talkie, relaying this new plan.

"No Jean, it's 10 ports to drop it off and 10 ports to get away from it! 20 ports in less then five minutes, no way Kurt," Kitty said firmly.

"What other choice do we have?" Kurt demanded, the timer reminding them all of the impending doom that was mere minutes away. "I can do 10 ports in five minutes, and that's all I really need to be able to do!"

Kitty opened her mouth once more to argue, knowing that they were wasting time. A whole city, practically the central nervous system of the entire nation, was about to be destroyed. And Kurt's plan was all they had.

Kitty closed her eyes tight, shutting out all the noise around her, everything but the sound of the ticking of the bomb and Kurt's heavy breathing. A sudden idea came to her mind and her eyes snapped open.

"Kurt, port me to the roof now!" she demanded as she carefully clutched the bomb.

"Was? Why?" Kurt asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Kitty, tell me you have an idea," Scott said to his youngest team member.

"I do, but Kurt you need to get me to the roof!" Kitty yelled, looking over her shoulder and into Kurt's confused yellow eyes. "Trust me, this is the only way!"

Kurt searched her frantic blue eyes for a moment. He nodded and ported the two away and onto the roof.

"She better know what she's doing," Talbert said as the X-Men rushed from the lobby and onto the street, craning their necks up to the roof.

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Kitty took a moment to steady herself, holding the heavy bomb in her arms. The roof of the Empire State Building was just as she had seen in all the movies, a high fence surrounding the open space around them, keeping all spectators safe from a tumble. This would be high enough, she was sure.

"Katzchen?" Kurt asked, staring at her with urgency, motioning to the bomb in her arms. "Now what?"

Kitty shut her eyes slowly as she backed away from him, her legs coming in contact with the waist high wall as her back rested against the fence. "And now, you pray while I fall."

Kitty phased herself through the barrier that separated her from the open air around them. She shuffled as far back as possible, the heels of her feet were no longer touching solid ground, instead hanging into the air. She was balancing on the edge, preparing to allow herself to let go. She smiled gently as Kurt's mouth opened in shock and he lunged at her, crying out her name as Kitty flung herself from the edge, tightening her arms around the bomb as she fell through the air.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't scream. She'd gone skydiving before, all of the X-Men had to pass that test before they could be allowed to pilot the Blackbird. This falling was nothing compared to that, this was frantic, confusing and disorienting. Her body was twisting and flailing, as her stomach dropped with her. She felt herself picking up speed, going faster and faster as the seconds ticked by.

'The ground!' Kitty thought in a panic. Her eyes were clenched shut, it stung too much to open them. But she sensed the ground was close and phased herself, ready to keep going into the ground at the same speed she was currently traveling at, hoping that that would be fast enough to fall 20 miles into the earth. Only minutes remained, and Kitty kept falling.

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Hope you liked it! I don't know much about bombs... actually I know nothing about bombs so I decided to throw Nitro in there to make up for my lack of knowledge. Please review, they make me smile :)


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